Dissonance is integral to human experience. Awesome, beautiful, and
terrifying, it occurs in nature in the form of thunderstorms,
tsunamis,and earth tremors - and music is created in their honour.
At the root of communal human tragedies, dissonance leads to war,
bloody revolution, and terrorism, and music is performed for
relief. Soul destroying and depressive, dissonance occurs in
interpersonal relationships through intimidation, unrequited love,
and death, and music is received as cathartic. Vicariously we are
charmed by the theatrical villain whose dissonant behaviour
encapsulates an intoxicating freedom that resonates with the ego.
Although typically considered undesirable – something to avoid,
escape or be freed from – without dissonance there is no
contrasting time of peace or joy. No need for music. From acts of
dissonance arise creative solutions, new technologies, new sounds,
and new ways of being. Without dissonance there can be no heroes
and no history to record and analyse. An essential component of
musical creation, as both sound object and programme material, the
charisma of dissonance is inescapable.
Individual papers which address this theme are warmly welcomed;
however, papers on other topics of current research are also
invited, as are proposals for panels of up to four papers on a
common theme. In the centennial year of the commencement of World
War I it is anticipated that several consecutive sessions will be
devoted to the musical responses, outcomes and products of a war
that has historically – albeit controversially – been described as
"Great", and thus constitutes a quintessential expression of the
charisma of dissonance.
Abstract Submission Procedure and further information is available
at http://msa.org.au/Main.asp?_=Conferences
All enquiries should be addressed to 2014conf@musicresearchanz.com